“We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are
created equal.”Since these words were
written, the history of America is replete with efforts to make this statement
of ideal a statement of principle and of fact.Although we as a society have made tremendous progress; we have
tremendous progress to achieve.

We are committed to creating an
executive branch that is free from discrimination and fulfilling the promise of
equal opportunity.Indeed, the Governor
directed these efforts when he signed Executive Order 478 [1], which
established non-discrimination, equal opportunity and diversity as principles
of the executive branch.The Executive
Order directs us to operationalize these principles. Our commitment to
operationalize these principles is, perhaps, best exhibited in our efforts to
secure the promises of equality in employment and equal access to buildings and
services to individuals with a disability.Although we have much to do, it would be wise for us to take stock of
what we have accomplished.

Model
Employer Effort

As
recipients of this newsletter know, the Patrick/Murray Administration launched
the Commonwealth as a Model Employer of Persons with a Disability in June of
2009.This effort, whose primary aims
are to achieve equality in employment, started out less ambitiously

In 2008, Paul Dietl of the Human Resources Division (HRD) and Myra Berloff of the Massachusetts Office on Disability (MOD), in
response to concerns expressed by executive agencies that data collection
efforts relative to employees with a disability were flawed and failed to
account accurately for employees with a disability, convened an internal
working group to investigate methods to better collect and report on such
data.Consistent with the efforts of
HRD-MOD to track and report data better, the Office of Access and Opportunity
directed the Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity to publish and report on
our Administration hiring goals with respect to persons with a disability.

While the HRD-MOD effort was proceeding,
two tangential efforts were being defined.Each of these additional efforts would impact the HRD-MOD effort.First, under the leadership of Secretaries JudyAnnBigby and Suzanne Bump,
Assistant Secretary Jean McGuire and Undersecretary Jennifer James, the
Executive Offices of Health and Human Service and Labor and Workforce
Development were engaged with regional employment collaborative consisting of
private sector employers, who were committed to new approaches to dramatically
improve employment outcomes for people with disabilities.Second, the Governor directed the Office of
Access and Opportunity to work with the HRD-MOD working group to develop a
strategic approach that would outline and demonstrate the executive branch’s
commitment to improving theemployment
environment and outcomes for persons with a disability.This direction and the resulting strategic
approach formed the basis of the Model Employer effort.

Since the launch of the Model Employer
effort, and under the continued, steady guidance of Sandra Borders, an
inter-agency working group has overseen implementation of the Model Employer
effort.

Reasonable
Accommodations Capital Reserve Account

In an effort to ensure that the provision
of reasonable accommodations are not denied to employees who require them
(and, by law, are entitled to them) due to an executive agency’s inability
to fund the accommodations, the Office of Access and Opportunity, with the
support of former ANF Secretary Jay Gonzalez, worked to develop and implement
the Reasonable Accommodations Capital Reserve Account or RACRA, a central
pool supported by capital funding.ANF
has supported the RACRA via an initial allocation of $100,000 in FY2009 and
an annual allocation of $150,000 in successive fiscal years.

RACRA was created to assist executive
branch agencies in responding reasonably and responsibly to employee requests
for reasonable accommodations in the workplace.

RACRA does not take the place of an
executive agency’s responsibility to be responsive to an employee’s request for
a reasonable accommodation; instead, RACRA functions as a back-up tool in
instances where executive branch agencies would be unable to fund the
accommodation.The RACRA is
co-administered by the Massachusetts Office on Disability and the Office of
Access and Opportunity.

RACRA is another tool to support (a) our
commitment to implement the principles of non-discrimination and equal
opportunity and (b) our Model Employer effort.

Please
see chart below, or you may click on the link for the full RACRA Report:

A workplace
environment that is supports equal employment opportunities is an important
element in meeting our obligations to persons with a disability; but, our
efforts in this important area must be complimented by efforts to promote equal
access to our facilities and the programs that we administer.It was in recognition of this concomitant
responsibility that a broader effort was launched.

In 2010, the
Office of Access and Opportunity convened a working group for the purpose of:
(1) discussing accessibility efforts to comply with the ADA, (2) creating a
common understanding regarding such requirements, and, (3) developing a policy
and programmatic framework to ensure compliance, especially in the context of
capital budgeting.This working group
consisted of representatives from the Division of Capital Asset Management and
Maintenance, the Massachusetts Office on Disability, the Civil Rights Division
of the Attorney General’s Office and a representative of the Disability Policy
Consortium.

In March
2011, the Office of Access and Opportunity issued its report and
recommendations. The two most important recommendations contained in the report
were the following:

·The
promulgation of an ANF Administrative Bulletin to:

oReinforce
the objective of equal access for people with disabilities to state programs,
services and activities,

oDefine
an organizational framework to achieve this objective,

oOutline
the processes to achieve this objective, and

oDefine
the roles and responsibilities of state agencies and personnel to achieve the objective.

·Pursuant
to the ANF Administrative Bulletin, the creation of a Universal Access
Committee to:

oDefine
policy objectives and direction consistent with the state objective of the
Administrative Bulletin;

oOversee
and coordinate implementation of the actions necessary to achieve the
objectives of the Administrative Bulletin, including the development of agency
strategic self-assessments and transition plans;

oShare
best practices across the executive branch and among agencies that receive
capital funding; and,

oProvide
a means for the provision of technical assistance to state agencies.

Since
approval of ANF Administrative Bulletin #19, our efforts have been focused on
securing resources to support accessibility efforts (ANF has allocated $5
million in fiscal years 2013-2015 and $8 million in fiscal years 2016-2017 to
support such efforts), working with DCAMM and MOD to define strategic
approaches forward.We are
well-positioned to make extraordinary progress against our objectives in this
and succeeding fiscal years.

To learn
more, you may click on this link to read Administration and Finance Bulletin
#19:ANF Bulletin 19

Information
Technology Accessibility Roadmap

Consistent
with and building off our efforts under ANF Administrative Bulletin #19, in the
fall of 2011, the Office of Access and Opportunity convened a working group
consisting of representatives of the Information Technology Division and the
Massachusetts Office on Disability to develop a roadmap to achieve enhanced
accessibility in information technology deployment and utilization.

The development
of the Roadmap must be considered in a broader, Administration context in
which we are working to enhance the coordination of efforts to achieve accessibility
across all of state government.ANF Administrative Bulletin #19 outlined an
important policy and programmatic framework to eliminate barriers to accessing
public buildings, programs and services.As
we move forward with defining a way forward on these fronts, it is equally
important that we move forward on the front of information technology accessibility.

This
Information Technology Roadmap is designed to plot a path forward on our
collective responsibility to achieve accessibility in the acquisition,
deployment and utilization of information technology.

Conclusion:

Policies and
programs are important.They establish
the framework for advancing an agenda of inclusion.Yet, they cannot and do not take the place of
individuals whose behaviors, which become more consistent with the principles
of Executive Order 526, help improve organizational culture such that access
and opportunity for all is attained (and maintained).Across the executive branch, there are many
individuals who have embraced our common purpose to promote non-discrimination
and equal opportunity, especially as those purposes relate to ensuring equality
to persons with a disability.

As we move
forward in our efforts, we cannot anticipate, let alone answer, every question
that will likely arise.Nor can we
expect that there will not be new challenges as we advance.However, the test cannot nor should not be
can we answer every question or anticipate every challenge today.The test is how we commit ourselves to moving
forward to ensure that all individuals are afforded equal access and equal
opportunity.

This is your
Opportunity…

“Did
you know?

The
International Symbol of Access (ISA) Wheelchair Symbol, tis maintained as
an international standard, ISO 7001, and a copyrighted image of the International
Commission on Technology and Accessibility (ICTA), a committee of Rehabilitation
International. It was designed by Susanne Koefoed in 1968.

Our colleagues at the University of
Massachusetts Medical Schoolis
conducting focus groups to better understand the role that health care services
and health care providers can play in helping individuals with disabilities to
work.

In the focus groups participants will
be asked about employment-related healthcare services that people with
disabilities use or need and about their ideas on the types of health services
that should be covered by insurance so that people with disabilities can work.

If you are interested in learning
more about the focus group and/or volunteering, you can click on the link here
or contact Laura Sefton by calling (508) 856-4213 or
emailing Laura.Sefton@umassmed.edu.

Please leave your name, email address
and/or phone number so that we may contact you.Thank you!

Please note these focus groups are
being conducted independently by the University of
Massachusetts Medical School and your participation is voluntary.